General Warehousing and Storage
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in operating merchandise warehousing and storage facilities. These establishments generally handle goods in containers, such as boxes, barrels, and/or drums, using equipment, such as forklifts, pallets, and racks. They are not specialized in handling bulk products of any particular type, size, or quantity of goods or products.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | Transportation and Warehousing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Transportation and Warehousing sector includes industries providing transportation of passengers and cargo, warehousing and storage for goods, scenic and sightseeing transportation, and support activities related to modes of transportation. Establishments in these industries use transportation equipment or transportation-related facilities as a productive asset. The type of equipment depends on the mode of transportation. The modes of transportation are air, rail, water, road, and pipeline. The Transportation and Warehousing sector distinguishes three basic types of activities: subsectors for each mode of transportation, a subsector for warehousing and storage, and a subsector for establishments providing support activities for transportation. In addition, there are subsectors for establishments that provide passenger transportation for scenic and sightseeing purposes, postal services, and courier services. A separate subsector for support activities is established in the sector because, first, support activities for transportation are inherently multimodal, such as freight transportation arrangement, or have multimodal aspects. Secondly, there are production process similarities among the support activity industries. One of the support activities identified in the Support Activities for Transportation subsector is the routine repair and maintenance of transportation equipment (e.g., aircraft at an airport, railroad rolling stock at a railroad terminal, or ships at a harbor or port facility). Such establishments do not perform complete overhauling or rebuilding of transportation equipment (i.e., periodic restoration of transportation equipment to original design specifications) or transportation equipment conversion (i.e., major modification to systems). An establishment that primarily performs factory (or shipyard) overhauls, rebuilding, or conversions of aircraft, railroad rolling stock, or ships is classified in Subsector 336, Transportation Equipment Manufacturing, according to the type of equipment. Many of the establishments in this sector often operate on networks, with physical facilities, labor forces, and equipment spread over an extensive geographic area. Warehousing establishments in this sector are distinguished from merchant wholesaling in that the warehouse establishments do not sell the goods. Excluded from this sector are establishments primarily engaged in providing travel agent, travel arrangement, and reservation services that support transportation establishments, hotels, other businesses, and government agencies. These establishments are classified in Sector 56, Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services. Establishments primarily engaged in providing rental and leasing of transportation equipment without operator are classified in Subsector 532, Rental and Leasing Services. Establishments primarily engaged in providing medical care with transportation are classified in Sector 62, Health Care and Social Assistance. |
| 493 | Warehousing and Storage 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Warehousing and Storage subsector are primarily engaged in operating warehousing and storage facilities for general merchandise, refrigerated goods, and other warehouse products. These establishments provide facilities to store goods. They do not sell the goods they handle. These establishments take responsibility for storing the goods and keeping them secure. They may also provide a range of services, often referred to as logistics services, related to the distribution of goods. Logistics services can include labeling, breaking bulk, inventory control and management, light assembly, order entry and fulfillment, packaging, pick and pack, price marking and ticketing, and transportation arrangement. However, establishments in this industry group always provide warehousing or storage services in addition to any logistic services. Furthermore, the warehousing or storage of goods must be more than incidental to the performance of services, such as price marking. Bonded warehousing and storage services and warehouses located in free trade zones are included in the industries of this subsector. |
| 4931 | Warehousing and Storage 4-digit industry group | Industries in the Warehousing and Storage subsector are primarily engaged in operating warehousing and storage facilities for general merchandise, refrigerated goods, and other warehouse products. These establishments provide facilities to store goods. They do not sell the goods they handle. These establishments take responsibility for storing the goods and keeping them secure. They may also provide a range of services, often referred to as logistics services, related to the distribution of goods. Logistics services can include labeling, breaking bulk, inventory control and management, light assembly, order entry and fulfillment, packaging, pick and pack, price marking and ticketing, and transportation arrangement. However, establishments in this industry group always provide warehousing or storage services in addition to any logistic services. Furthermore, the warehousing or storage of goods must be more than incidental to the performance of services, such as price marking. Bonded warehousing and storage services and warehouses located in free trade zones are included in the industries of this subsector. |
| 49311 | General Warehousing and Storage 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 493110. |
| 493110 | General Warehousing and Storage 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in operating merchandise warehousing and storage facilities. These establishments generally handle goods in containers, such as boxes, barrels, and/or drums, using equipment, such as forklifts, pallets, and racks. They are not specialized in handling bulk products of any particular type, size, or quantity of goods or products. |
Need a supply chain stack that maps to this industry?
Use this NAICS classification as the starting point, then connect it to Item workflows across inventory, warehousing, order management, fulfillment, and transportation.
Classification References
- 01Renting or leasing space for self-storage--are classified in Industry 531130, Lessors of Miniwarehouses and Self-Storage Units; and
- 02Wholesale or retail sales in combination with handling and/or distributing goods--are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or in Sector 44-45, Retail Trade.
Index Items
Bonded warehousing, general merchandise
General warehousing and storage
Private warehousing and storage, general merchandise
Public warehousing and storage (except self-storage), general merchandise
Warehousing (including foreign trade zones), general merchandise
Warehousing and storage, general merchandise
How Item Can Help
The WMS provides real-time inventory visibility and optimized shelf stocking, which is critical for managing the high-volume, multi-sku logistics required in general warehousing.
By integrating route planning and freight auditing, the TMS reduces last-mile delivery costs and ensures timely arrival for diverse customer orders.
Analytical insights into historical demand patterns enable more accurate demand forecasting, preventing both stockouts and overstock situations common in storage facilities.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 493110.
National Association of Supply Chain Professionals
The official trade association for supply chain professionals including warehousing and logistics specialists.
U.S. Department of Commerce – Bureau of Labor Statistics
Government page detailing occupational data and job outlook for warehouse and storage workers.
National Association of Homebuilders Directory
Industry directory providing resources for construction and storage facility development related to residential warehousing.
